Spirit-Dependent Living
Isaiah 11:1-5

Paul J. Bucknell

The OT Bible Teaching Commentary

As we depend upon the Spirit of God, He effectively leads us closer to Him and makes our lives more fruitful.

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Introduction Isaiah 11:1-5 | Isaiah 11:1 | Isaiah 11:2 | Isaiah 11:3-5
Bible Study Questions: Isaiah 11:1 | Isaiah 11:2 | Isaiah 11:3-5


Book of Isaiah: Overview | Background | Outline

Purpose

This study on Isaiah 11:1-5 makes us more conscious of God’s will and increasingly dependent upon the Holy Spirit in all that we do. Negatively speaking, we are learning how to avoid the way secularism detracts us from living Christ-filled lives. – Isaiah Living Commentary

All that we need for Spirit-Dependent living happens when we become a ‘new creature’ in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). How exciting to discover the new things God has for our lives. This newness, however, seems to wear off rather quickly.

In a short time we are troubled to see and hear of lives of the lukewarm Christians around us. At times, this despicable dull spirit even infects us, and we too, become convinced that Christ is not doing very special things any more - either in our lives or in the lives around us.

Adopting this mentality is worse than being infected by some contagious disease! It affects not only our Christian growth but also our Christian service. The supernatural is stripped away from our wonderful Christian lives.

Everything seems to depend on how we drive ourselves to read the Bible, go to church and serve others. The newness of the ‘new wine’ that we see occurring in Christ’s life becomes only a memory. As a sign of total lack of faith, we even drop hints that a compromised Christian life is all that is to be expected.

A close study of Isaiah 11:1-5 enables us to regain a proper perspective of Christian life and service. We gain a inside picture of what moved and motivated the Messiah Jesus Christ. This passage brings together the connection of what empowered Christ and what empowers our own lives as His disciples. In essence, we learn what it means to ‘walk in the Spirit.’ Let’s look more closely as to what it means to live a Spirit-dependent life.

Text: Isaiah 11:1-5 - On Becoming Spirit Dependent

“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

And He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear; But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the belt about His waist” (Isaiah 11:1-5).

Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven, there is no doubt that I have wasted too much time looking at this world through my own eyes rather than seeing it by the Spirit’s eyes. After reading Isaiah 11 above, I sense my blindness and foolishness. I have worked so hard but with little regard to how I need the Holy Spirit to work through my life.

Please forgive me for wasting so much time and spending it in my own strength. I know I have let too many people down. The world doesn’t need more world in religious garments but Christ unveiled and lived out before them. Come now Holy Spirit and fill me. Teach me how to live like Jesus. Let me be an instrument that is always being used by your Holy Spirit. In Christ’s glorious Name we pray, Amen.

Discussion

In faith we spend time together to be transformed by the Lord. Our hope is that after this time together before the Lord, He will use us more effectively, wherever that might be. We are not gaining just some knowledge about God; we are getting to know God more. He is deepening our commitments and enriching our lives.

Do you remember how the Lord Jesus called the disciples aside? First, there was the stepping out from the world and then there was the stepping into His presence. Both happened simultaneously. If you are preoccupied with the world, then you cannot get close to God. Jesus asked for their whole lives. Indeed there were many that kept their original occupations, but in a true sense they had to give up that occupation and received it back. Isaiah 11 shares the keys needed in drawing close to God.

If we are going to be effective servants of Christ, then we better learn how to have Christ dwell in us through the Spirit of God. We are to walk and be filled with the Spirit. The same Spirit that anointed Jesus is to dwell within us. This is why we are called Christians, which literally means anointed ones (1 John 2:27).

"And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him." (1 John 2:27).

God accomplished so much in the life of Christ because the Holy Spirit constantly filled Him. The key to having effective and growing Christian lives is how much we understand and embrace the Spirit’s work in our lives. It is not a question as to whether we have the Spirit or not. All of God’s people have the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14).1

The key is how much do we yield our lives to the wonderful Spirit of God. After all, all our lives we have been trained to live with our eyes, ears and minds. We need to change our orientation and live after the Holy Spirit. In a sense, one might say that our study is describing the Spirit-filled Christian.

The Spirit encourages all Christians to respond to God in their lives fully. Let’s see what this is all about.

A. The Life of the Christian (Isaiah 11:1)

B. The Spirit in the Christian (Isaiah 11:2)

C. The Walk of the Christian (Isaiah 11:3-5)

What is this call that demands us to drop all for the sake of all?

Further References and Resources

Continued reading => A) The Life of the Christian (Isaiah 11:1)

Biblical Foundations for Freedom ( BFF )

Rev. Paul J. Bucknell